GRAHAM has celebrated a significant milestone at The Castle Rock School in Coalville, Leicestershire, with a steel signing ceremony marking the start of the new building’s structural steel frame installation.
The ceremony took place on site on 10 June, attended by senior GRAHAM figures as well as representatives from the Department for Education, Lionheart Educational Trust, and pupils from The Castle Rock School, who signed the structural steel to leave a lasting personal legacy on the new building.
Appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) and Lionheart Educational Trust, GRAHAM is currently undertaking a complex £37m redevelopment of the existing secondary and sixth form campus in Coalville. The project was procured through the DfE’s CF21 Framework.
The programme will deliver a new two-storey school building, alongside the refurbishment and remodelling of a retained block, and the demolition of several outdated structures. This will create a modern, high-quality accommodation for up to 1,550 pupils.
The wider scheme includes new outdoor learning and play areas, a three-court multi-use games area and new sports pitches, alongside wider improvements across the school site.
Enabling works began in February 2026, with the building set to be made watertight in November 2026 and ready for occupation in January 2028.
In May, GRAHAM handed over a new all-weather artificial grass pitch two weeks ahead of schedule, which marked the first sectional completion of the project. The 100m x 60m pitch, installed to International Hockey Federation standards, includes three smaller cross-play pitches and is already in use by the school and local community.
Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM, said:
The steel signing is a landmark moment on any construction project, and at Castle Rock, it feels particularly special.
Our team has made tremendous progress since enabling works began earlier this year, and reaching this structural milestone is a real testament to the skill and commitment of everyone on site.
We are delivering far more than a new building: we are helping to transform the learning environment for 1,550 young people in Coalville. That sense of purpose drives everything we do, and we look forward to seeing the project take shape over the coming months.
Kath Kelly, CEO of Lionheart Educational Trust, said:
The steel signing marks a symbolic milestone for everyone involved in this project. It represents not only the progress of a new building, but our shared commitment to investing in the future of education in Coalville. We are grateful to the Department for Education and to our construction partners, GRAHAM, for their expertise and dedication in bringing this vision forward. We look forward to continuing this journey together as the school takes shape.
Roma Dhameja, Associate Principal at The Castle Rock School, said:
At Castle Rock School, we are proud to provide a supportive and ambitious environment where our students thrive and achieve. This new building will build on that success, giving our young people even better facilities, and opportunities to go even further. Seeing the structure come to life is hugely exciting and represents a lasting investment for our current students and futures generations in the local area.
